American Airlines Flight 28

American Airlines
Flight 28

Accident
Date	October 23, 1942
Summary	Mid-air collision
Site	Chino Canyon, Riverside County, California, U.S. 33°52′N 116°34′W / 33.867°N 116.567°W / 33.867; -116.567
Total fatalities	12
Total survivors	2
First aircraft
An American Airlines DC-3, similar to the one lost in the mid-air collision.
Type	Douglas DC-3
Name	Flagship Connecticut
Operator	American Airlines
Registration	NC16017
Flight origin	Lockheed Air Terminal, California, U.S.
Stopover	Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Destination	New York, New York, U.S.
Occupants	12
Passengers	9
Crew	3
Fatalities	12
Survivors	0
Second aircraft
A USAAF Lockheed B-34 'Lexington', similar to the one that collided.
Type	Lockheed B-34 'Lexington' (Ventura IIA) bomber
Operator	U.S. Army Air Forces
Registration	41–38116
Flight origin	Long Beach Army Air Base, California, U.S.
Destination	Palm Springs, California, U.S.
Occupants	2
Crew	2
Fatalities	0
Survivors	2

class=notpageimage|

Location in the United States

class=notpageimage|

Location in California

American Airlines Flight 28 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight that crashed on October 23, 1942, in Chino Canyon near Palm Springs, California, United States, after being struck by a United States Army Air Forces B-34 bomber. The B-34 suffered only minor damage, and landed safely at the Army Airport of the Sixth Ferrying Command, Palm Springs.^[1]

All nine passengers and three crewmembers on board the twin-engine DC-3 perished in the crash and subsequent fire; neither of the two Army pilots aboard the B-34 was injured.^[2] The army pilot was later tried on manslaughter charges, but was found not guilty by a court-martial trial board.^[3]

Casualties in the crash included Academy Award-winning Hollywood composer Ralph Rainger,^[2][4] who had written a number of hit songs including "I Wished on the Moon," "June in January," "Blue Hawaii," "Love in Bloom" (Jack Benny's signature song), and "Thanks for the Memory" (Bob Hope's signature song).